Tawla is the Arabic form of backgammon: two players, 15 checkers each on a 24-point board. You move checkers by dice rolls, hit lone blots to send them to the bar, bring all 15 into your home board and bear them off. A win over an opponent who has borne off nothing scores double (Mars); the harder variant of that scores triple.
Play now — it's freeThe board has 24 triangular points split into four quadrants; each player owns 15 checkers arranged in the classic starting pattern. One player moves from point 24 toward 1, the other the reverse; each player's home board is the final quadrant before exiting (points 1–6 for one, 19–24 for the other).
The game opens with each player rolling one die; the higher roller plays first using both of those numbers (ties reroll). Each turn you roll two dice and move two checkers by the numbers shown — or one checker by their sum. Rolling doubles lets you move four times the same number.
You may never land on a point held by two or more opposing checkers.
A point held by exactly one enemy checker is a blot; landing on it sends that checker to the central bar. While you have a checker on the bar you may not move anything else — re-enter it in the opponent's home board using a die number; if that entry point is closed, you forfeit the turn.
Once all 15 of your checkers reach your home board you start bearing off: a checker on the point matching a die leaves the board; with no exact match you move the highest checker toward point 1 and off. The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins.
Win values:
| Result | Condition | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Single win | Opponent has borne off at least one checker | 1 |
| Mars | Opponent has borne off nothing | 2 |
| Double Mars | Opponent off none AND has a checker in the winner's home or on the bar | 3 |
Build consecutive blocks (two+ points in a row) to stall your opponent.
Avoid leaving blots in your opponent's home board; every lone checker is a free hit.
Two checkers on a point beat spread-out checkers for safety.
When your opponent races ahead of you, keep an anchor point in their home board.
15 checkers each, on a 24-point board.
Two players.
A Mars win is when the loser has borne off no checkers — it scores double.
A point occupied by a single checker; the opponent landing on it hits it to the bar.
Each player rolls one die; the higher roller goes first playing both numbers.
Yes — play Tawla online free at tawla.yeeqia.com in your browser, no download required.